Asuncion
Asuncion - the capital and largest city, is built on unassuming hills above the east bank of the Río Paraguay. Most of the city's key sights are found within an area bound by the riverfront, Avenida Colón in the west, calles Haedo and Luis A Herrera in the south, and Estados Unidos to the east. There are few colonial remains and little attempt at zoning, so the city has become a jumble of new, eclectic buildings and squatter settlements along the riverfront and the railway.
It's now safe to approach and photograph the Palacio de Gobierno, which is a major improvement on the situation which existed during El Supremo's rule - he ordered anyone gazing upon the palace to be shot on sight. Nearby is the Casa Viola, one of the few surviving colonial buildings, which is now a museum. Other city sights include the Casa de Cultura Paraguaya, the 19th-century Cathedral and its museum, and the Casa de la Independencia, Asuncion's oldest building (1772) and site of the declaration of independence. There are also excellent parks, such as the Jardín Botánico, and the Museo del Barro, the city's foremost repository of modern art. Asunción's zoo - once a wretched, dingy place of small, smelly cages filled with unkempt animals - has reportedly improved under a new management plan and is seeking to properly house the unique flora and fauna of Paraguay.
Budget accommodation and cheap eats are mostly in the city centre, towards the riverfront, or in neighbourhoods to the east. Porn flicks and kung-fu extravaganzas dominate cinema viewing but there's good live theatre or music at a number of cultural centres. The shopping is best along calles Colon, Pettirossi, Palma and Estrella.
It's now safe to approach and photograph the Palacio de Gobierno, which is a major improvement on the situation which existed during El Supremo's rule - he ordered anyone gazing upon the palace to be shot on sight. Nearby is the Casa Viola, one of the few surviving colonial buildings, which is now a museum. Other city sights include the Casa de Cultura Paraguaya, the 19th-century Cathedral and its museum, and the Casa de la Independencia, Asuncion's oldest building (1772) and site of the declaration of independence. There are also excellent parks, such as the Jardín Botánico, and the Museo del Barro, the city's foremost repository of modern art. Asunción's zoo - once a wretched, dingy place of small, smelly cages filled with unkempt animals - has reportedly improved under a new management plan and is seeking to properly house the unique flora and fauna of Paraguay.
Budget accommodation and cheap eats are mostly in the city centre, towards the riverfront, or in neighbourhoods to the east. Porn flicks and kung-fu extravaganzas dominate cinema viewing but there's good live theatre or music at a number of cultural centres. The shopping is best along calles Colon, Pettirossi, Palma and Estrella.